This invention relates to a protective hood device for a conventional wheelchair and particularly to an inclement weather protective device attached to a conventional wheelchair.
In the past several years the Federal Government has been more cognizant of the needs of handicapped people and has acted on those needs by passing laws requiring communities to redesign public buildings, streets and other facilities in order to aid handicapped persons. This has enabled more and more handicapped people, especially those in wheelchairs, to become more self sufficient being able to live relatively normal lives by being able to hold regular jobs in the market place and to travel throughout the community without much assistance. The wheelchair occupants can now safely cross the street from one sidewalk to the other because of depressions in the curbs; they can use public transportation such as buses because of the requirement that buses have lowering devices to assist the wheelchair occupant on and off the bus; public buildings now have ramps for unassisted access and public bathrooms are set up to accommodate the wheelchair occupant. With the advent of these changes in the communities, a very significant and valuable resource of the community has been tapped benefiting the community overwhelmingly while building self-worth, confidence, and esteem in handicapped people. With this mobilization of the wheelchair occupant also came the problem of protection against the inclement elements such as rain, hail or snow.
Prior to the present invention, the wheelchair occupants had been subject to severe weather conditions without adequate means for protection against them in their daily excursions. Conventional wheelchairs do not come equipped with adequate protection against inclement weather conditions. Therefore, a need exists for a device for use with a conventional wheelchair to protect the occupant from inclement weather conditions. This need has been satisfied with the present invention.